


The Bold Survive

by Lonediagonal



Category: Bandom, Cobra Starship, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, The Academy Is...
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Friends to Lovers, High School, M/M, Musicals, Prom, Ryan is a dork, Ryden, Strangers to Lovers, Valentine's Day, actor!brendon, i suck at tags and summaries, its just a highschool fic okay, this is going to be riddled with john hughes quotes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 18:52:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6251569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonediagonal/pseuds/Lonediagonal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU in which Ryan can't fit the English class he wants to take into his schedule and is assigned to aid in the guidance office with another student, Brendon Urie, where they fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bold Survive

**Author's Note:**

> So... High School AU. The title is taken from Ferris Bueller's Day off. If people like this, i'll post more chapters, so make sure to leave me a comment or kudos. I love concrit and when people talk to me, so don't be shy. All typos are my own blah blah blah, betaed by the wonderful and amazing Greer, cooliohoolio on the archive, and @sadspacebear on tumblr.

Initially, Ryan was pretty upset about his new schedule for the second semester. He had been looking forward to the elective he was signed up for, The Novel, which was a class devoted to the reading and analysis of novels, which was basically what Ryan did in his free time anyways, but his math class locked his whole schedule up, screwing him out of possibly the only class that he would actually like. 

He’d been forced to drop down to a lower level of math, which really wasn’t all that surprising. He was a language nerd after all, and math never came easily to him, honors credit be damned. The new math class was locked up in second period, when the novel was, and the only other session for math was during sixth period Honors English. 

Honors English was maybe the only class that Ryan enjoyed, besides the novel of course, but some of his classmates were idiots and they were always forced to do a huge grammar packet that was like, 30 pages thick. But he liked his English teacher, Mr. Roberts. 

He patiently listened to and agreed with Ryan’s rants about the Puritan beliefs, which were seriously fucked up, Hester Prynne wasn’t a slut, okay, and the Transcendentalists, and the Dark Romantics, and how Edgar Allen Poe was a seriously misunderstood guy. Like he didn’t marry his cousin because he was attracted to her, but because he was trying to protect her, and he wasn’t creepy, he was seriously depressed most of his life because everyone significant to him fucking died of consumption and he suffered from alcoholism, but if you went through the same shit he did, wouldn’t you want to drink too? And through all that, he changed literature, and created the short story. And through all this, Mr. Roberts would, smile, nod, and agree, and not in a condescending way, either. He was always genuine. So, Ryan could look past the packets from hell. 

He was mainly upset because the novel was a prerequisite for the creative writing class, which an aspiring English major really needed to take. But he’d failed his math class, so he’d have to suffer the consequences. 

But, he got an aid period as his fourth period class, which was nice. And it was in the guidance office, which was even nicer, because the ladies that worked in there were super nice, and it was the only part of the school that didn’t smell like cat litter or was -20 degrees. Ryan was constantly cold and they weren’t allowed to wear scarves, Ryan thinks the dress code was made by robots, but oh well. Basically, he got to stay in the coziest place in the whole school for a whole period and do (almost) anything that he wanted. He couldn’t really complain.

***

The second day that Ryan was an aid in the guidance office, he was hunched over the desk in the side room off of the main room, when he heard the door open. He leaned forward and peered through his bangs to see who had arrived. 

A boy with dark hair and large, black glasses bounced in towards the main desk. He wasn’t bad looking, Ryan decided, although he couldn’t tell from where he was. Ryan let his eyes drift over the boy’s form. Good fashion sense, Ryan noted. He was wearing a brown patterned sweater, and black skinny jeans tucked into black boots that Ryan identified to be Doc Marten’s. That all checked out. He’d definitely never seen this boy before, If he had, he’d remember him, which meant he was probably a freshman. Fucking freshman. Ryan lost interest and looked back towards his book. 

“Good Morning, Mrs. Clarke.” the boy greeted. “I’m supposed to be an aid in here this period, apparently.” That caught Ryan’s attention, because only Juniors and Seniors were allowed to aid.

“Perfect, we’ve got good aids this semester. Ryan is in there and he’ll tell you what to do.” Mrs. Clarke answered. 

Ryan turned in his rolly chair as the boy came into the side room. “Hi, I’m Ryan,” he managed, blinking owlishly.

“Uhm, hi, I’m Brendon,” the boy smiled. He had a nice face, brown eyes and plushy looking lips. So, he was pretty attractive, Ryan amended his earlier observation.

“Okay, Brendon, basically… we sit in here for 45 minutes and if one of the administrators needs our help then we help them and that’s about it. You can put your stuff over there, and here’s another chair… That’s everything I think.” He gestured around the room. “Oh, and there are laptops if you need them.” he finished.

“Okay, awesome, I’ll just be over here then.” Brendon declared, still grinning. And that was… weird. It made Ryan want to smile back for some reason, like he couldn’t let Brendon do all the smiling, which was even weirder. 

Ryan turned back to his book, but it was hard to concentrate like that with someone else, a practical stranger, right behind you the whole time, especially when he you could hear them breathe and shuffle papers around and click their pen. It was just sitting next to someone, but it felt strangely intimate to him. 

Ryan sort of read his book until he gave up. There were only three minutes left until the bell rang anyways. He swiveled around towards Brendon. 

“Why weren’t you in here yesterday?” Ryan asked.

Brendon set down his pen. “Scheduling errors, I guess” He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s cool though, we get to spend a whole semester together now so I have plenty of time to make up for yesterday.”

“Oh...yeah, I guess” Ryan mumbled lamely. Why was he so bad with new people? He wanted to smack himself.

Brendon didn’t seem to notice. “I actually couldn’t fit one of my electives into my schedule so I’m here.”

“No way, me too.” Ryan said. “Which one was it?”

“Music theory… I’m just kinda bummed because I want to go into music and colleges like that sort of stuff, you know?” he chatted.

Ryan most definitely did know. “The same thing happened to me, actually.” 

“Really?” Brendon asked.

“Yeah but it was The Novel,” he explained, flapping a hand towards his book.

“Oh, you’re into English?”

“Yeah, I’m into it,” he smiled. 

“I feel like you’re actually a really big nerd” Brendon joked, glancing to the three novels on Ryan's stack of books. And was that flirting? It probably wasn’t. Brendon might not even be into guys.

“Define nerd.”

“No, you’re supposed to do that! You’re the English nerd, after all.” he said smiling. Brendon had a really nice smile, and now Ryan was pretty sure that he was flirting. Ryan didn’t really know what to do about that. It made him feel sort of nervous though, and Ryan knew that if he allowed himself to, then he was going to fall for this boy.

“Then you must be a music nerd.” 

“Yeah, what made you think so? Was it the sheet music stuffed in my binder, the musical notes on my papers, or the g-clef bracelet?” he inquired, shoving his sleeve up and presenting the bracelet. 

“I’ll go with the guitar strings in your pencil bag.” Ryan laughed. 

Brendon’s eyes got wide. “You think you’re joking but I totally have some in their right now.” 

“How come I haven’t seen you in the hallways before?” Ryan asked. He did genuinely wonder.  
“  
I don’t know, I’m around. Why?”

“I just think that I’d remember you is all,” Ryan said with a burst of confidence. Brendon blushed and looked down. He looked back up at Ryan and was biting his lip. Yes, very attractive, Ryan thought. He definitely was flirting before, then.

Before Brendon could say anything, the bell rang, signaling the end of fourth period. He pushed his books and papers into a haphazard mound, and stood up.

“See you tomorrow, Ryan.” he beamed again. 

“Bye,” Ryan replied and twisted his mouth into what he hoped looked like a smile. Apparently it did, because Brendon’s grin got even wider, which Ryan wasn’t sure was possible, but there it was. 

Brendon left, leaving Ryan to throw his things in his bag and scurry to Spanish before the bell rang. 

***

“How was your aid period today?” Spencer asked as Ryan slid into his seat in the Spanish room. 

“Good, actually. Something weird happened.” Ryan replied as Spencer grabbed for his homework. Ryan handed it over wordlessly. 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah, there’s another aid now. I’ve never seen him before.”

“What’s his name?”

“Brendon. And he’s got to be a junior or a senior.” Ryan said, knowing that he would ask. 

Spencer pondered this as he copied Ryan’s answers. “Was he cute?”

“Like, ridiculously. And I think we were flirting.”

“You think you were?” Spencer scoffed. 

“I don’t know!” Ryan sputtered. “You know I’m not good at reading situations and how awkward I get.” 

“Do you know if he’s into guys?”

“No. It’s not exactly a first meeting type of subject is it?” Ryan said sarcastically. “Although, you’d probably ask.”

“Hey, you conjugated this wrong by the way.” Spencer pointed out, handing Ryan’s worksheet back to him. 

Ryan groaned and buried his head in his hands as the bell rang again and class began.

***

At lunch time, Ryan grabbed a PB & J and an apple juice from the cafeteria, it was all he trusted from the school lunch menu, besides, he could eat when he got home.

After he retrieved what he hoped was edible food, he weaved his way through the tables and random chairs, until he got to their usual tables. 

Spencer was there, talking to Jon, Jon from music theory, Ryan he’s so cool, he’s a photographer and he plays bass, oh my god. Patrick and Pete sat across from them.

“Hey” he greeted, sitting down and tucking his legs up under himself. He had twenty minutes of peace until he had to go back to the torture that was public education.

“Oh hey, Ryan, how’s your boyfriend from the guidance office?” Spencer teased.

Ryan rolled his eyes. So much for a peaceful lunch period. “Jesus Christ, Spencer, I don’t even know him.”

Pete looked up from where he was finishing his geometry homework. “Ryan has a boyfriend?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow and smirking.

“Yeah and he’s gonna have a bunch of gay babies with him. Gaybies.” Spencer laughed.

“What the fuck, no, he’s just some guy who’s aiding in the guidance office with me. ” He tried to reason.

“Yeah, that you think is ridiculously cute.” Spencer said through a mouthful of pizza.

“What’s his name?” Pete asked, as he messily labeled the angles of a triangle, which were probably wrong, Ryan thought, but he failed his math class so what did he know, really.

“His name is Brendon, and shut up I don’t even know if he likes guys. Besides, I’ve talked to him once. I just think he’s cute. I can appreciate someone’s aesthetic beauty, can’t I?” Ryan said, finally opening his sandwich.

“Brendon? Like Brendon Urie?” Patrick asked, looking at Pete. 

Pete nodded, and they seemed to have a conversation consisting of only facial expressions and hand gestures. It was seriously creepy how close those two were sometimes. “Ryan, he’s gay. Like, super gay. If there were a mascot for the gays, he’d be it.”

Patrick shoved him with his shoulder, “He’s exaggerating. But he does fulfill some infamous gay stereotypes.” 

“Yeah, he’s got the lead role in the musical and is always singing, and dancing, and shit.” He paused, taking swig of his chocolate milk. “He’s cool.

“ Yeah, he’s in my section in chorus.” Patrick says

Spencer makes eye contact with Ryan, and raises an eyebrow as if to say looks like you’ve got the go ahead.

Ryan groans and drops his head on the table. However, he shoots up again when a pile of books is almost dropped on his head. He finds himself looking at Gabe Saporta, who has his most charming grin plastered on. That means he wants something.

Ryan sighs, “Hi Gabe, what do you want?”

“Okay, I need to finish my english homework like, right now, but I can’t because I have to go help Beckett with something. So, I need one of you nerds,” he pointed a finger at Pete, then Ryan, “to finish it for me. And seeing as how Petey boy is finishing his geometry, that means Ryan has to do it.” He finished hurriedly. 

Ryan scowled, “Go find Frank. He’d do it.”

Gabe rolled his eyes. “I already tried that. But he’s too busy staring at Gerard in the art room.”

Ryan scowls harder.“Do my spanish homework for a week, and I’ll finish your fucking packet.”

“Ah, si, si, gracias,” he said, waving a hand. “lo Haré hasta chupa tu polla pero no promesas eres a salvo de alguno enfermedades de transmisión sexual.” he replied, slipping into Spanish.

“No, it’s cool, Gabe” Spencer said. “Ryan’s already got himself a boyfriend.”

Gabe’s grin grew devilish, “Use protection!” he cackled as he hurried away to find William.

“What does that mean?” Pete wondered. He took french (the language of love, he’d said).

“Bilingual druggie bastard,” Ryan grumbled, but he started writing down answers on Gabe’s grammar packet anyways. 

***

A week passes, and Ryan grows used to the routine of his new schedule, and grows used to seeing Brendon in the guidance office everyday. Spencer still gives him shit, but Spencer always gives him shit, so everything is normal. 

At lunch on Thursday, Pete says he’s having a party on Saturday. “Bring your friends, bitches, it’s gonna get lit.”

“Pete, oh my god, you just said lit. Willingly. Who are you?” Ryan says, a bit dumbfounded. 

“Yeah I did, blame Gabe. Seriously, it's gonna be so much fun. Bring Brendon, it’ll be cool.”

Asking Brendon was actually a pretty good idea, Ryan thought, but he was not letting Pete know that when he willingly said the word lit. “Seriously, one of the most talented writers I know just said lit.” Ryan said to his juice. 

“What the fuck ever, are you coming or not?” Pete asked

“yeah, i’ll be there.”

He would ask Brendon tomorrow.

***

Ryan was going to ask Brendon to come to the party. It wasn’t a big deal. It really wasn’t.  
Except it really was. He and Brendon talked, and Ryan considered them friends, but he couldn’t help thinking that suddenly inviting to a party was a bit forward. But apparently Pete and Patrick were friends with him, so maybe it would be okay. 

His worrying proves to be for nothing, when Brendon asks him if he’d going to Pete’s party tomorrow. 

Ryan turns in his chair, caught off guard. “Yes, actually. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go.”

“Well yeah, then I’d love to.” He smiles shyly, and picks at the string of his hoody. 

He leaves fourth period with Brendon’s number and instructions to pick him up at 8. He doesn’t stop smiling during Spanish.


End file.
